Pest Control > FliesMarch 20, 2011

Getting Rid of Fruit Flies

There is still snow, and lots of it, on the ground here in Montana, but we are already having problems with what I call little fruit flies. I happened to see a lot of them flying around my sink where a part of an orange had been tossed yesterday.

We have a greenhouse attached to our house with a connecting door for easy access. I am sure that is the main cause of the problem, but we had not ever had these little flies until last summer. It was absolutely horrible. We had guests for dinner one evening and before we knew it, anybody drinking wine had flies in their wine glasses.

Please does anyone have a solution for this? I know to keep fruit covered and to have a covered trash can, but what else? Thanks so much.

By Montana Jewel Therapy

Related: Getting Rid of Fruit Flies

Answers

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By
03/21/2011

We had a huge problem I was able to get rid of 90% in one night and the rest the next night by doing this. Apple cider vinegar and dish soap. You don't have to use the bag and all of that. Set as many containers around as you like jars glasses whatever and put about 2" of apple cider vinegar in them, then 3-4 drops of dish soap. When they go in to get the cider they get trapped in the dish soap, and can't get out. I haven't had a problem since using this tip. Goodluck!

By
03/21/2011

If you think the flies are coming from your greenhouse, you may be dealing with fungus gnats and not fruit flies. They look and act similar, but fruit flies lay their eggs in fruit and fungus gnats lay their eggs in soil. If you see these flies hovering around the tops of pots or around your plants, you will need to treat each plant. Mosquito dunks can be quite effective in killing their larva and won't hurt your plants.

By
03/21/2011

I recently found the following information. The only thing I would like to add is that it is important to wash/rinse any fresh produce that is to be kept out on the counter. Some produce have insect eggs, invisible to us, that may hatch in a home.

After removing all potential sources for feeding and breeding, use this trap to take care of any remaining adult flies.

Fill one or more small jars with 1-inch of beer, wine, or apple cider vinegar, not white vinegar. This fermenting liquid is your "bait".

Place a plastic sandwich bag over the mouth of the jar, so that one corner reaches down into the jar just above the "bait". You are creating a funnel.

Poke a small, 1/8 inch hole in the corner of the bag with the tip of a pencil.

Secure the bag around the rim of the jar with a rubber band.

Place the jars around your kitchen or near your problem plants. Since you have already taken away their food supply and breeding grounds, the fruit flies will be searching for more. The "bait" will attract the fruit flies to the traps. They will enter through the hole in the bottom of the funnel, and not be able to get out.

By
03/21/2011

I had a problem with fruit flies after my son left a banana peel in his room I was cleaning the upstairs and poured a half a bottle of beer in the toilet and came into the bathroom to start cleaning and looked in and all of the fruit flies had tried to drink the beer and had drowned! I couldn't believe it! So now I pour some beer in a saucer and place in the area and it has never failed since!

By
03/20/2011

Have you tryed putting a small piece of fruit in a plastic bag and catching all the flies you can. then taking them out side and releasing them or throwing out the bag. you may have to do this again till all flies are gone. Maryan

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